Chicago Botanic Garden

Events: Garden chef series

Barilla Seasonal Tips

June

Strawberries

PHOTO: strawberries and rhubarb leavesStrawberries, or fragola in Italian, are very common in Italy, typically during the months of May and June. In southern Italy, strawberries are often marinated with lemon juice and sugar; in the Emilia Romagna, they are usually served with balsamic vinegar. Italians enjoy strawberries in gelato, sorbets, pies, and tarts.

Rhubarb is not commonly used in Italy except for in the northern regions. To prepare, first remove all the leaves, then rinse and pat dry. Trim the ends and cut into 1-inch chunks. If the stalks are tough, remove any tough strings as you would with celery (however, the strings usually break down during the cooking process). If you sweeten rhubarb after it is cooked, you will need less sweetener. Generally, the redder the stalk, the less sweetener that is needed.

 

Strawberries with Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale

  • 3 cups fresh strawberries
  • 1 teaspoon, divided, Academia Barilla Aceto Balsamico, aged 12 years
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (the amount may vary, based on the sweetness of the strawberries)




Rinse the strawberries with cold water. Remove stems and cut the berries in half.

Marinate with sugar and half the balsamic vinegar for two hours in the fridge.

Process one fourth of the strawberries in a blender; strain the strawberries' seeds using a fine colander.

Combine processed strawberry mixture with remaining fruit, removing any seeds.

Drizzle with remaining balsamico and serve.

 

Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam

  • 28 oz fresh strawberries
  • 28 oz fresh rhubarb stalks
  • 28 oz sugar
  • Juice of 1 whole lemon (approx. 3 tbsp)
  • 1 cup orange juice


Rinse the rhubarb and strawberries with cold water.

Remove strawberry stems. Cut strawberries in half.

Peel the strings off the rhubarb as you would do with celery; cut the stalks into 1½-inch pieces.

Place all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for about two hours, or until the jam has reached desired thickness.